The collection is arranged as 11 series. Series 1: Biographical Material, 1955-2007 (1.05 linear feet; Box 1, 16, 21) Series 2: Correspondence, 1952-2012 (1.40 linear feet, Box 1-2, 21) Series 2: Sub-Series 1: Personal, 1952-2012 (0.50 linear feet; Box 1, 21) Series 2: Sub-Series 2: Professional, 1966-2012 (0.90 linear feet; Box 2, 21) Series 3: Interviews, 1971-2006 (0.64 linear feet; Box 2, 17, 21-22) Series 4: Journals, circa 1970-1987 (0.41 linear feet; Box 2, 22-23) Series 5: Writings, 1960-2009 (2.05 linear feet, Box 1, 3-4, 23) Series 6: Project Files, 1961-circa 2008 (7.74 linear feet, Box 5-9, 13-20, 23) Series 7: Research Files, 1962-2000 (0.65 linear feet, Box 9-10, 23) Series 8: Personal Business Records, 1972-2007 (0.30 linear feet, Box 10) Series 9: Printed Material, 1959-2008 (0.51; Box 10-11, 14) Series 10: Photographical Material, 1973-2006 (0.70 linear feet, Box 11) Series 11: Unidentified Audiovisual and Born-Digital Materials (Box 11, 12, 23)
Access Note / Rights:
This collection is open for research. Access to original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center. Researchers interested in accessing born-digital records or audiovisual recordings in this collection must use access copies. Contact References Services for more information.
Summary:
The papers of art critic, author, and historian, Robert Hughes measure 16.6 linear feet and date from 1952 to 2012. The collection provides a glimpse of Hughes' personal life and documents his extensive career through biographical material, personal and professional correspondence, interviews, journals, writings, project files related to books and television programs, research files, personal business records, printed material, and photographic material.
Citation:
Robert Hughes papers, 1952-2012, bulk 1973-2004. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Use Note:
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
Biography Note:
Robert Studley Forrest Hughes (1938-2012) was an art critic, author, and historian based in New York, New York. Born in Sydney, Australia, Hughes attended St. Ignatius College and Sydney University, where he studied art and architecture. After a stint as an abstract expressionist painter, Hughes worked as a political cartoonist before becoming a full-time art critic. He lived in Italy and London and traveled extensively throughout Europe before moving to New York City in 1970, where he lived until his death in 2012. Hughes was best known for the 1980s television series, "Shock of the New," where he explored the development of modern art, and for his longstanding position with TIME Magazine. Throughout his career, Hughes published several books, including his 2006 memoir where he recounted the story of his near fatal accident in 1999, and wrote and presented multiple documentary style television series and films.
Language Note:
The collection is in English, French, German, Italian, and Spanish.
Provenance:
Donated in 2021 by Doris Downes, Robert Hughes' widow.
Location Note:
Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution, 750 9th St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20001
